Aim for the Stars
by Razzle
Summary: Set just after the GateKeepers 21 OVA. Ayane is discouraged by the resurgence of Invaders after the showdown with Ghost Girl. Falling out of the sky on their motorcycle didn't help, either. Can she and Miu defeat them once and for all, after all?
1. And My Heart Will Fly

Chapter One: And My Heart Will Fly (Habatake, My Heart)

_Ever since I can remember, I've wished to be a bird. They're free to fly away whenever they choose. They aren't stuck on the ground like us. I would love to be able to lift off and fly away, and just leave everything behind me, but I could never fly... Because I'm too weighed down by my own heart._

* * *

Ayane stared down at the Invader Crystals that were scattered on the pavement around her feet and Miu's. It had been a long day, with three IPWs to deal with, and Ayane didn't feel as optimistic as she had that morning, just after the Gate Keepers had defeated Ghost Girl and beaten back the Invaders somewhat. Slowly, Ayane stooped and started carefully collecting the crystals into a bag for Reiji.

"Are-are you sure that's all of them, Ayane?" Miu asked, playing with the end of her hair and looking nervously around. She was breathing hard after their latest battle, since she'd done an almost record amount of jumping and hopping during the fight. "I mean, you know, that is this morning when those last few surprised us when we thought - well _I_ thought we'd gotten them all - Ayane?"

"That's all this time," Ayane assured her, still picking up crystals. "Here," She tossed an extra empty sack to Miu. "Don't just stand there, start helping."

"Oh, right," Miu said, a smile of relief lighting up her whole face. "Sorry, Ayane, I forgot." She knelt near Ayane and started gently scooping up crystals. "You know, I still think it's really sad, even if Aegis is looking for a way to restore them. I just wish there was a better way, Ayane, if you know what I mean."

"I know," Ayane said softly. She paused in her work and looked at the crystals that were still scattered around on the ground. They seemed to blurr around the edges, and Ayane raised a hand up to her face to cover her eyes. _I'm so tired..._ she thought.

"Ayane?" Miu asked after a moment. When she didn't get a response, she asked again, "Ayane? Are you okay?"

Ayane tried to respond, but the only thing that came out was a sudden burst of sobbing. Confused and angry at her emotions being on display, even to her closest friend, Ayane scrubbed at her tears with the hand over her eyes. She clenched her other hand around the neck of the bag she was still holding, and tried in vain to get a hold of herself.

"Aww, Ayane," Miu whispered, moving close to her friend and putting an arm around her shoulders. "It's okay. I feel like crying myself sometimes, too."

Ayane warred with herself for a moment longer, then decided it was all right to be a frightened and heartsick teenage girl. She let go of the bag of crystals and threw both arms around Miu's neck, still sobbing. Miu wrapped her arms around Ayane comfortingly and, for once, said nothing.

* * *

Later that same night, Ayane stood on the streetcorner next to Miu, waiting. They didn't have long to wait, however, as Reiji's black car soon pulled up and stopped. He rolled down the window and smiled at the two. "Hi, girls," he greeted them.

"Here," Ayane said quietly, handing her bag of Invader Crystals to Reiji. Next to her, Miu handed her bag in through the car window as well.

"Thanks. I know I can always count on you, Ayane," Reiji said with a small smile, holding out a thick wad of paper money towards her.

"Give it to Miu," Ayane told him, not reaching for the money. "I'm retiring."

"What? Ayane..." Miu said, turning to look at her friend with eyes filled with emotion. "Don't give up!"

"I'm not," Ayane said, looking from Miu to Reiji, his surprised face framed by the open car window. "I don't want to do this anymore. Well, good-bye and good luck to both of you. I hope you find a way to change them back." Turning abruptly away to hide her tears, Ayane ran away down the dark street, the light from the street lamps reflecting off of her long coat as it trailed out behind her.

"Ayane!" Miu called after her, but Ayane didn't slow her steps.

_You can do it, Miu,_ Ayane thought, shaking her head to clear away her tears as she ran. _You don't need me any more - and I don't need this stress._

* * *

The next day, Ayane was walking home from high school, her laptop folded closed and tucked under her arm, when someone stepped out into the middle of the sidewalk in front of her, totally blocking her path. Ayane looked up in annoyance, dragged out of her inner contemplation of what she had been studying that day.

It was Satoka.

"What do you mean you just _quit?_" Satoka shouted, balling her hands into fists.

"Retired," Ayane corrected her.

"Whatever - don't play word games here. You gave up, Ayane admit it!"

"I have every right not to be a Gate Keeper anymore!" Ayane replied, beginning to raise her own voice. Trying in vain to suppress her body's shaking, she went on, "You know as well as I do what it's like - every night. Night after night after _night_. I thought we'd finally won this time, but no. Why should I spend my whole life fighting Invaders? It doesn't seem to matter. They just keep _coming!_"

"It does matter," Satoka insisted, lowering her head and closing her eyes. To Ayane's surprise, she saw tears leaking out from under the taller girl's closed eyelids. "It matters because... if no one fights them, they'll just take over. Even if all we can do is - " Interrupting herself, Satoka opened her eyes again to glare fiercely down at Ayane. "You are a true Gate Keeper, Ayane. You _must_ fight!"

Ayane stared at Satoka for a long moment before replying. "Sorry. I've decided its time to start looking out for myself, not the rest of the world anymore. No one even knows or cares what we do, anyway. So why should I have to care about them?" Brushing rudely past Satoka, Ayane continued walking, leaving the other girl behind her.

"You know why Gate Keepers can't ever become Invaders?" Satoka shouted after her. "It's because we can't be selfish! Sure, I make a lot of yen off of Invaders by being a Gate Keeper, but I'd toss it all off a cliff if it would mean no one on earth ever saw an Invader again! You're turning your back on the world because it causes you too much pain to think about - not because you don't care!"

Ayane turned around and looked at Satoka in shock. She opened her mouth to form a reply, but the taller Gate Keeper cut her off. "Well, I'd better go see what else I can find. Good hunting, Ayane. Or not. I guess it's up to you." Satoka picked up her sack of Invader Crystals from where she'd obviously left it lying on the ground against the wall of a nearby house while waiting for Ayane, slung it over her shoulder, and walked away, leaving Ayane alone with her thoughts.

* * *

_The city..._ Ayane thought as she weaved her way through the tightly packed mass of pedestrians. _It's so crowded. I never really connected it before, but there are so many people who depend on the Gate Keepers. So many..._

Ayane stopped and looked up at the moon, remembering that night not long ago when she had first seen Miu sillhouetted against its soft light.

_I guess that's what Satoka meant. I can't be selfish. These people depend on me to protect them - even if they don't know it._ With the practiced ease of one who had grown up in Tokyo, Ayane went against the flow of the crowd to go look for Miu, soon easing into another stream of people that were heading in the same direction she was going now. _We've got a job to do,_ she thought resolutely.

* * *

_I've always wanted to be able to just fly away like a bird and leave everything behind me, but I've always thought I was too weighed down by my own heart. But maybe I've been too hard on myself. Still, I wish it were easier to fly..._


	2. In the Deep Night

Chapter Two: In the Deep Night... (Fukai Yoru no)

_I wanted to help make Miu's dreams of flying come true... High enough to reach the moon! But the moon is so far away. It seems impossible. But is anything really impossible? People say that if you just try hard enough, you can do anything. But I'm not sure if it will be enough._

* * *

When Ayane found Miu, her friend was fighting a small group of stray Invaders on her own. _She's more independent now,_ Ayane thought approvingly, at the same time as she felt guilty for abandoning her partner. _She's a true Gate Keeper, and it's time I learned from her example._ Even though Miu was doing just fine on her own, Ayane rushed in to help. She still hated using her own gate, prefering to use her cell phones instead. "Hey, Miu!" she called out. "Let's finish them. They're just little ones."

"Ayane!" Miu cried joyfully, running to hug her friend and mentor around the neck. "You're back!" With a small sound of surprise, Miu seemed to remember they were in the middle of a battle, and pulled away again to keep fighting.

The two Gate Keepers made short work of the aliens, and seconds later the battle was over. As Miu crouched to pick up the half dozen or so Invader crystals, Ayane joined her.

"What made you change your mind?" Miu asked, turning to her. "You have changed your mind, right? I mean, you're back, aren't you? I know you said I can do this by myself, but we still need you!"

"I know," Ayane said quietly, gently setting her Invader crystals into Miu's bag. "Someone reminded me that I can't be selfish." She looked up into Miu's eyes, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Come on. Ghost Girl gave us another chance - I still want to make your dream come true... and I have an idea how to do it."

"Really?" Miu breathed, her eyes shining with emotion. "You don't have to do that for me, Ayane. You've already done so much, and taught me how to be a Gate Keeper and everything."

"_We_ have to do it," Ayane said, a determined smile on her face. "For _everyone_."

Miu nodded once in agreement, a smile lighting up her face as well. "Let's get going, then. For everyone!"

* * *

"We'll take off from here," Ayane explained, holding onto the handlebars of the motorcycle next to her. This time, she and Miu stood on top of the roof of a tall building - the very same building, in fact, where they'd had their showdown with Ghost Girl and the dead Gate Keeper had used her minus gate to restore everything. "We won't wear ourselves and the bike out just getting this far, and we'll be outside of the earth's atmosphere and gravity faster. _Then_ we'll be able to get to the moon. I've been thinking about it, and I'm sure that's where their base is."

"Wow," Miu whispered, looking up into the sky. "Do you think we can, really?"

"Hop on," Ayane replied, not really answering her. _If we can't, the earth is probably doomed anyway. At least, to hear Reiji describe it. I won't lie and tell her I'm sure we'll make it, but I'm not willing to dash her hopes either. We'd just __better__ make it, that's all._ She swung her leg up and over the bike, settling herself into the seat, and looked expectantly at Miu. "Well?"

That seemed to be all it took. With her hair streaming out behind her, Miu ran to the motorcycle and jumped on behind Ayane. "Okay, let's do it!" she said with a fierce resolve that made Ayane smile.

As Ayane stomped the gas pedal of the motorcycle, Miu clung tightly to her shoulders and leaned in close behind her. "Gate..." they said together. "OPEN!"

The two gates burst open at the exact same second - Ayane's gate of wind behind the motorcycle, and Miu's gate of flight beneath them. The bike sped across the rooftop, then at the last moment, soared upwards into the air.

"Higher!" Ayane urged the motorcycle. "Higher! _Higher!_" Behind her, Ayane could feel Miu tensing with the effort of maintaining her gate. The gate of flight was very powerful, but not easy to sustain for long. Usually, Miu had just opened it beneath her feet long enough to launch herself into the sky, but now she had to use it to power not only her own flight, but that of Ayane's as well - not to mention the extremely heavy motorcycle. Miu dug her fingers into Ayane's shoulders harder with the effort, but Ayane didn't mind. _Anything__ that means I can help! Hang on, Miu, you're doing great!_

Suddenly, Ayane realized how high up they'd gotten. _If we fall now..._ Putting the pedal to the metal, Ayane leaned forward determinedly, clearing her mind of all negative thoughts. _We won't. We'll make it - we have to!_

Both girls gasped at the sudden shift as they broke free of the earth's atmosphere. Everything was cold and black around them now, but the air generated by both gates meant they were still able to breathe.

Laughing, Miu let go of Ayane's shoulders and put her arms out to the sides like wings. "I feel so light!" she giggled.

_Is this what birds feel like when they're flying?_ Ayane thought in wonder. _It's almost like we're gliding, now, but we still have to concentrate on our gates to keep moving. It's not exactly freefall. But... if this is what it feels like to fly like a bird..._

Ayane glanced over her shoulder at the earth, which was quickly receding behind them. Miu, so happy and carefree despite still having to maintain the gate of flight, caught Ayane's envious gaze. _If this is what it feels like, then why don't I feel free?_

A thought struck Ayane, as hard as any attack from an Invader she'd felt. _It's me. I don't feel free because I'm not letting myself. Why do I do that? I should really stop cutting myself off from, well... everything._

Almost at once, the moon was an enormous white globe above them just ahead. Ayane made an effort and focused on their mission and the present again.

"Ayane?" Miu asked, staring up at the moon as it loomed closer and closer above them. "How are we going to get up there?"

"Miu," Ayane said calmly.

"Yeah?" Miu responded in a quiet, timid voice.

"Lean back!"

The two girls leaned back as hard as they could, pulling the nose of the motorcycle upward. As they sped, front tire first, towards the moon's surface, Miu screamed, "I don't think this was such a good idea!"

"It'll be okay!" Ayane shouted back over her shoulder, trying to reassure Miu. "Don't worry!"

The motorcycle hit the ground hard, skidding across the moon's surface and kicking up dust around them. Miu and Ayane were thrown off by the force of the crash, and flew several feet before coming to a stop. Ayane groaned and sat up, glancing down at her right leg. It had a nasty abrasion running along the outer side, all the way from her thigh down to the cuff of her shoe, and she had a pretty badly skinned knee. _I probably should have worn something longer than my school uniform miniskirt,_ Ayane reflected ruefully. Her leg had gone a bit numb from the force of the impact, but was already starting to sting and burn from the abrasion with moon gravel ground into it. Ayane looked around for a moment or two at the moon's soft grey landscape. "We did it," she said in a quiet tone of amazement. Then she realized that her usually talkative friend hadn't spoken yet since they had crash-landed. "Miu!" Ayane said breathlessly, turning to check on her. "Are you all right?"

Miu raised her head and looked weakly at Ayane. "Ow." It was a pitiful little sound, but Ayane could tell that Miu would be just fine. "Ayane!" Miu cried, suddenly sitting upright. "Your leg!"

"It'll be all right," Ayane said, shrugging off the pain. "Let's just get out of here before any Invaders find us."

"Hey, Ayane," Miu said thoughtfully, as she stood and helped Ayane climb to her feet as well. "I just realized we're still breathing. Isn't there supposed to _not_ be air on the moon? Because that's what I always thought. I mean, that's why astronauts have to wear those space suits, isn't it? So how can we be breathing?"

"I'm not sure," Ayane replied wearily. "The Invaders have probably messed with the atmosphere somehow." The thought made her angry. If the Invaders were so powerful, why did they have to come attack Earth? "Let's get out of here," she went on, looking around.

"Aya-aah!-aah-ne!" Miu squealed, pointing.

The Invaders had arrived.

"What!" Ayne gasped, shocked. Of course, logically, she knew they had just broken into the Invaders' base, but for whatever reason she hadn't expected to see them immediately.

"Gate Keepers," the Invaders intoned in their spooky, deep collective voice.

"Ayane, what do we do?"

"Eliminate target," the Invaders continued.

"Miu, RUN!" Ayane shouted, grabbing her friend's hand. With her free hand, Ayane reached into a coat pocket and yanked out a cell phone, flinging it behind her as she hauled Miu out of immediate harm's way. The phone exploded a moment after it landed at the feet of the Invaders, destroying several but leaving many more to inexorably come after the girls.

"Your gate!" Ayane snapped breathlessly at Miu, jerking them both to a sudden stop. They were now surrounded.

"I - " Miu panted. "I don't know - i-if I can... I'll ... try! Gate... open! AAH!" Miu shrieked as she hurled herself into the air.

"Star four eight one pound!" Ayane shouted up to Miu, as she tossed a cell phone as hard as she could in the other girl's direction. Miraculously, Miu caught the phone mid-flight and started frantically pushing the buttons. A few seconds later, as Miu started slowly drifting downwards again in the low moon gravity, the phone exploded in her hands, shooting yellow light out in every direction. The Invaders who had been closest, many jumping for the young Gate Keeper with their jaws wide, were obliterated by the blast. Meanwhile, Miu was knocked roughly off-course and started falling much faster towards the ground, sideways. Ayane leaped to intercept her fall, catching Miu in her arms.

"You're supposed to throw it _away_ from you," Ayane told her, setting her on her feet again.

"I know, Ayane, I know! I forgot," Miu replied in a tone of sheepish terror. "But thanks for catching me!"

"Never mind," Ayane said, in reply to both statements. "This isn't working. We're way outmatched. There's too many of them!"

"What'll we do, Ayane?" Miu cried, as the two girls stood back to back in the center of a ring of Invaders.

"Gate open!" Ayane half shouted, half growled, putting her hands out in front of her. The gate of wind opened up before her, whipping her clothes and hair around. She managed to destroy another cluster of the aliens, but the gap was almost instantly filled with more. "I don't know," she admitted to Miu, drooping in exhaustion as her gate faded closed again.

One Invader, the one wearing a red hat rather than a black one like the rest, spoke up. "New mission: capture Gate Keepers."

"Well, that's not good," Miu said in quiet horror. "I don't like the sound of that. Hey!" she suddenly shouted, pointing and tugging on Ayane's shoulder. "Look over there!"

"What? What is it?" Ayane asked as Miu jerked her towards the direction she'd pointed. As the Invaders converged, it was Miu's turn to pick up Ayane as she launched them into the air with her green gate of flight, sailing easily over the slow-reacting Invaders' heads. She landed at a run, hauling Ayane along by the hand.

"Look," Miu repeated, pointing again. Then Ayane saw it, too. A small, but deep and twisting crater or tunnel in the moon's surface. _Yes,_ Ayane thought as they raced for it. _The opening is small enough...!_ Reaching into another of her pockets, Ayane withdrew yet another phone. As she and Miu dived through the small entrance, Ayane pressed several of its buttons, then quickly set the phone just inside the tunnel, its screen facing outwards. A shimmering orange-red barrier shot out from the cell phone, blocking the entrance in the very faces of the Invaders. _Woah, not a moment too soon!_ Ayane thought, breathless, exhausted, but victorious. "Good work, Miu," she said quietly, turning to her friend ith a gentle smile. "That ought to keep them out - for now, anyway. That phone is fully charged, so the battery should last at least four to six hours. I've got another one, too, but after that we'd better have a plan."

"Yeah," Miu agreed, sagging against the rocky wall of the cave in relief. "But Ayane, I'm so tired..."

Ayane knew it was true of both of them. "Me too," she admitted. Miu looked about ready to collapse, and Ayane didn't feel much better herself. Plus, her leg was starting to really sting from the abrasion she'd gotten on their crash landing - but they'd made it.

_Now we're really alone, in the deep night of space,_ Ayane thought, as the two girls listened to the sounds of the Invaders backing away from their tiny sanctuary - at least temporarily. She turned to Miu and said, "I think we'd better take turns keeping watch. Who knows when they'll be back?" She settled herself firmly against one wall of the cave, and drew her knees up to her chest. "I'll take the first watch," she told Miu. "Try to get some sleep."

"Okay, Ayane," Miu agreed, her exhaustion plain in her voice. She laid down awkwardly on the harsh moon rocks and tried to settle down.

Leaning her head back against the wall, Ayane allowed her thoughts to turn back to what she'd been pondering while they were flying through space. _Why __do__ I cut myself off from everything? It's not that I want to... Maybe it's because -_

"Ayane?" - Miu called softly from where she was lying down, trying to get into a comfortable position.

"What is it?" Ayane asked in irritation, staring at the imitation gate that stretched across the small entrance to the cave.

"I can't sleep." It was a small, sheepish, almost pathetic tone of voice.

Ayane sighed. "Well, then in that case, you can take the first watch." She turned away from the imitation gate to look at Miu - and saw that she was out like a light. _That was fast,_ Ayane thought in warm amusement.

Smiling, she went back to her interrupted train of thought. _Maybe it's because... I'm scared. My father walked out of my life, and I just don't want to go through that again. What if I lose someone else?_ Looking at Miu's peaceful, sleeping face, Ayane knew her friend she had met so surprisingly recently in the grand scheme of things would never run out on her or do anything else to deliberately hurt her. _But now __I've__ brought her right into the enemy's nest. What if -?_ Ayane was unable to force herself to finish the thought in words, but also unable to prevent herself from thinking about the possible consequences, deep in her heart. _No. I can't lose her - not after we've come so far._

Wrapping her arms tightly around her legs, Ayane buried her face in her arms and knees and cried as softly as she could, doing her best not to wake up Miu. _She needs her sleep. Besides, I just know everything will turn out all right. AEGIS has worked too hard, for too many years now. If we were going to fail, wouldn't we have by now?_ Heartened by the thought, Ayane lifted her head and wiped her tears away with one sleeve of her sweater. Despite everything, a small smile crept across her face again.

* * *

_The moon is so far away from Earth, it seems impossible to reach. But there's an old saying. I don't know who first said it; "Aim for the stars... You might fall short and land on the moon."_


End file.
